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Three More Guilty Pleas in Federal Pilot Flying J Investigation

More guilty pleas were secured on Monday as part of the federal probe into truckstop mega-chain Pilot Flying J, taking the total number up to 10 so far.

Photo: Evan Lockridge

Brian Mosher, the former national director for sales, admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud before a federal judge in Knoxville.

Two other former employees, Christopher Andrews and Lexie Holden, each admitted to separate conspiracy charges. Andrews was a regional sales representative for Texas while Holden was an account representative for Mosher.

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The guilty pleas follow raids on Pilot Flying J headquarters last April by federal agents as part of an investigation into whether the company intentionally withheld rebates to customers stemming from fuel purchases in order the inflate company profits.

An affidavit released by the FBI shortly after the raids prominently features Mosher telling how he swindled customers and how to target unsophisticated customers, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

None of the seven who earlier pleaded guilty have been sentenced amid reports at least some are helping investigators and that other guilty pleas are in the works.

Pilot Flying J CEO Jimmy Haslam has denied any knowledge of such a scheme or any wrongdoing, while the company late last year reached a $85 million legal settlement with trucking companies who were owed money.

Despite the settlement, several suits are still pending against Pilot Flying J by those who opted-out of the settlement. The case has brought a lot of attention to Haslam, who is also the owner of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns football team.